Another flash mob. Last Sunday evening commuters at Mumbai’s busy central railway station “Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus” were surprised when two hundred people started dancing to the music from the Bollywood hit Rang de Basanti .

While it may look spontaneous, according to the article I saw on the New York Times Global edition India blog, it took a month to plan, get security clearance from three different departments at the station, teach the two hundred dancers the special choreographed dance, plus organize the music, lighting, ladders and camera placements.

While flash mobs are popular in the United States and Europe, I think this is the first one in India. The YouTube video’s gone viral -there were already more than 1.3 million viewings this morning – after a week.

[Thank you JB.]

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About dearrosie

We think we need so much, when all we really need is time to breathe. Come walk with me, put one foot in front of the other, and get to know yourself.
Please click the link to my blog - below - and leave me a comment. I love visitors.

Hi Amy
I’ve re-done it and it looks OK now – I think I left off one little letter when I copied and pasted it… I really appreciate that you went to youtube to get the correct link for me. Thank you. It feels good to know I’ve got blogging buddies who watch out for me. 🙂

I can’t imagine how 200 dancers managed to find a space to dance in that crowded station. What I love about flash dancing is how everyone watching is always so happy. If you look at the bystanders you’ll just see big smiles from them.

I can’t thank you enough, Rosie. This video would’ve reached me through Facebook sooner or later, but I needed to see it this morning. And I am glad I saw it here.

Rang de Basanti is a movie that moved India when it came out. It has since become a symbol of the common man standing up against the corruption of values, morals and aesthetics that so ail us in this country today. Rang de basanti means colour (me) saffron, saffron being the colour of all that is patriotic and national. I did a post on another song from the movie a few months back, if you remember. That’s another favourite.

I wouldn’t know if this is the first flash mob in India, but it certainly is the first that I know of that has been organised and video-shot.

When I used to commute every weekend to go home to my parents years back, there used to be a group of people singing bhajans (devotional songs) in the train — cymbals and drums included — and soon, many compartments would join them in the singing (the windows were open, so the sound carried). The voices of people visibly enjoying themselves joined with the sounds of the train. Absolutely delightful. I don’t know if this is called flash mob, but it did to us onlookers and audience what this particular one in your post did to the rest of the people in the station — gave smiles and a sense of joy precious little things can.

Hi Priya
I thought of you when I posted this so I’m so glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you for explaining the meaning of the song Rang de Basanti. (I just read your great post with the summary of the movie. Interesting how a movie can become the symbol for the common man. I’m going to rent it from the video store.

But it’s your description of commuting in the train every weekend and listening to the bhajans that really excited me. It must be an unbelievably thrilling experience to be sitting in a train listening to the entire train singing
the same song. What a happy train, but I don’t think it’s flash mob –

according to Wikipedia “A flash mob (or flashmob) is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, artistic expression.”

Number one on my bucket list: participate in a flash mob, somewhere. Anywhere.

I’m a happy person by nature but watching this put a huge smile on my face that I can’t seem to erase. Maybe watching this flashmob should be required for hospital patients. It cures what ails ya, and more!

Thank you so much for sharing this. I somehow didn’t know that this even happened. Hehe, my ignorance, perhaps. But it was surely a fun to watch this one, as the song happens to be from one of my favorite movies. Also, I too have had danced to its tunes several times. Priya has shared a lot of information on this movie in her great writing. So you have an idea what this song is about. 🙂

And this is the first time I heard about Flash mobs. How cool are they! Spreading smiles and joy in a fun way. I loved the idea. 🙂

Thanks for sharing. And visiting my blog. I would also like to know your daughter’s name since yo have mentioned it. 🙂